I've been waiting for months to find out if Alterra Mountain Company, the big new ski conglomerate, would kill my beloved Rocky Mountain Super Pass.
Well, they won't. They're just changing its name, as we learned this week.
The "Ikon Base Pass" is the new RMSP.
It runs for $599, basically the same as the current super-pass. It goes on sale March 6.
It will:
- Include unlimited skiing at the same three Colorado mountains: Eldora, Copper and Winter Park.
- Add unlimited access to mountains in California, Quebec, Ontario and West Virginia (finally!).
- Give you five days at Steamboat, instead of six. Unlike the unlimited mountains, these are subject to holiday blackout dates.
- Add limited days at the Aspen mountains; Jackson Hole in Wyoming; Mammoth in California; Big Sky in Montana, Revelstoke in B.C. (yes, please); and more.
However, RMSP riders are losing access to Crested Butte, along with two out-of-state mountains; the old pass came with three days there.
Also, major hit for parents: Unlike the RMSP, the Ikon doesn't come with a free children's pass. However, you can pick up a kid's pass for $149 through April 9.
Then there's the Ikon Pass.
This one's new, creating basically a higher-tier pass that didn't exist in the old system. It's the competition to the regular Epic.
The full Ikon includes unlimited access to Steamboat, Eldora, Copper, Winter Park and eight out-of-state mountains, plus extra days at the rest of the limited mountains.
Overall, I'm relieved, although Ikon sounds more like cologne than skiing to me. For more deep skiing thoughts, refer to our Rocky vs. Epic guide/argument.